Starting device for gas or vapor electric lamps.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

S. E. FLIGHTNER.

STARTING DEVICE FOR GAS 0R VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

N0 MODEL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1902.

No. 733,380. Patented July 14, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANWVOOD E. FLICHTNER, OF ENGLE /VOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, A COR- PORATION OF NEW' YORK.

STARTING DEVICE FOR GAS OR VAPOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

\ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,380, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed June 28, 1902. Serial No. 113,589. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: justments of the switch-arm either the entire Be it known that I, STANWOOD E. FLIOHT- coil 21 may be included in the circuit or one NEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resior more layers of said coil may be cut out. dent of Englewood, in the county of Bergen It will be seen that one side of each lamp is 5 and State of New Jersey, have invented cerconnected with a contact-point upon aswitchtain new and useful Improvements in Startboard 35, whereon the main switch 3, the ing Devices for Gas or Vapor Electric Lamps, snap-switch 31, the resistance 11, and the adof which the following is a specification. jnstable switch-arm 32 are mounted. The The means commonly employed for startseveral contact-points which thus form the :0 ing gas or vapor electric lamps of the mercuryswitchboardterminals of one side of the lampvapor type include a main-line switch, one or circuit are shown at 36, 37, and 38 in such pomoreinductance-coils in series with the lamp, sition that the switch-arm 32 can be caused and a snap-switch arranged in a shunt beto cooperate with either one of them at will, tween each lamp and its own inductance coil a switch-handle 39 being provided for the 15 or coils. If this arrangement were an invaeasy manipulation of the switch-arm. At 40 riable one, we should always have the devices I show a stop for limiting the motion of the mentioned duplicated for each lamp. In switch-arm. places, however, where a number of lamps By an inspection of the diagram it will be are to be located near together and subject seen that each lamp is provided with a sepa- 20 to the control of the same operator it may rate short circuit between the lamp and its suffice to have a single main-line switch and inductance coil or coils and that such short a single snap-switch, together with means for circuit terminates at the switchboard 35 in bringing the snap-switch successively into one of the contact-points 36, 37, or 38. It operative connection with the different lamps. will also be seen that inasmuch as the switch- 2 5 Indeed, this action need not be a successive arm 32 is itself a portion of the short circuit action; but the snap-switch may be brought (which also includes the snap-switch 31 and to operate upon the circuit of any one of a the resistance 11) either short circuit may be group of lamps at the will of the operator. completed through the switchboard by sim- This is accomplished by the use of an adjustply bringing the contact-arm 32 into conneco able switch, for example, as will be fully set tion with the proper contact-point or termiforth in the specification which follows. nal. If now it is desired to start one of the The drawing is a diagram of circuits and lamps, theparticular short circuit appropriconnections for starting three gas or vapor ate to that lamp should first be closed, and the electric lamps through the medium of a single snap-switch 31 should then be operated to 35 snap-switch. cause a quick rupture of the shunt-circuit.

The lamps are shown at 1 1, the mains at The reactance caused in this Way in the in- 14 15, the main-line switch at 3, the switches ductance 19 connected with that particular for the several lamps at 3 3 3', the reactancelamp will cause an impulse of higher potencoils at 19 19 19, the snap-switch at 31, the tial to be impressed upon the circuit of that 40 adjustable switch-arm at 32, and aresistance lamp, which will thereupon be started into in the same shunt with the snap-switch at 11. operation. By repeating this process either Each of the reactance devices 19is made up or all of the other lamps can be started. of two coils 20 and 21, the members of each The function of the apparatus herein depair being connected in series with each other scribed is the same whether the gas or vapor 5 and the groups being connected in multiple apparatus on which it acts is intended to give to the main wire 15. light or to transmit electric currents for any In connection with each of the coils 21 I other purpose. provide contact-points 27 28 29, with which I claim as my invention a switch-arm 26 cooperates. By different ad- 1. The combination with a group or numher of gas or vapor electric apparatuses, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of a reactance device for each gas or vapor apparatus, a shunt across the circuit between each gas or vapor apparatus and its own reactance device, and a snap-switch adapted to act upon either shunt-circuit at will.

2. The combination with a group or number of gas or vapor electric devices, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of one or more reactance-coils for each device, means for connecting each device with its own reactance coil or coils and means common to all the devices for supplying the starting-current.

3. The combination with a group or number of gas or vapor electric devices, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of a reactance coil or coils for supplying the starting-current to each device, switches controlling the connections of each device with its own reactance coil or coils, a snap or quickbreak switch having one terminal adapted to be connected to a corresponding terminal of each device, means for connecting the opposite terminal of the snap or quickbreak switch, to the opposite terminal of any selected device, thus forming the shunt upon the reactance coil or coils for that device, and means for operating the snap-switch to break the said shunt by a quick movement.

4. The combination with a group or number of gas or vapor electric devices, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of

a reactance coil for each device, a shunt across the circuit between each device and its reactance-coil, a snap or quick-break switch having one terminal connected with one side of the said shunt-circuit, means for connecting the opposite side of the snap-switch with any selected device and means for operating the snap-switch whereby the shunt-circuit of the selected device can be broken by a quick movement, thus causing the reactance-coil for that device to start the device.

5. The combination with a group or number of gas or vapor electric devices, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of a plurality of reactance-coils in series with each device, means for cutting out one or more layers of one of the reactance-coils, a shunt across the circuit between each device and its reactive coil and a snap or quickbreak switch adapted to act upon either shuntcircuit at will.

6. The combination with a group or number of gas or vapor electric devices, each requiring a starting-current of higher potential than that upon which it is to be operated, of an adjustable inductive resistance in series with each device, a shunt across the circuit between each device and its own inductive resistance, and a snap or quick-break switch adapted to act upon either shunt-circuit at will.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day June, A. D. 1902.

STANVVOOD E. FLIOHTNER.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE 1 1. STOCKBRIDGE. 

